Honing machine



Jan. 10, 1939. w. D. sci-1mm- 2,143,454

HONING mcu mm Original Filed Nov. 5, '1936 s Sheets-Sheet 2 93 full", 4s4 g,

" I mam D. J'kzmJf- Jan. 10, 1939.- w. D. SCHMIDT 2,143,454

HONING MACHINE Original Filed Nov. 5, 1936 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 PatentedJan. 10, 1939 PATENT OFFICE HONING MACHINE William D. Schmidt,Worcester, Mass assignor to The Heald Machine Company, Worcester, Mass acorporation of Massachusetts Application November 5, 1936, Serial No.109,270

Renewed May 4, 1938 22 Claims.

The present invention relates to a. honing ma.- chine, and especially toa machine in which the honing operation is under the control of a sizedetermining mechanism.

In the accurate honing of workpieces to a predetermined finisheddimension, it is frequently desirable to provide for measuring the sizeof the workpiece in order to terminate the honing operation when thepredetermined finished size is reached. A honing machine adapted for usewith a plug gage is described and claimed in a co-pending application ofHarold L. Blood, Serial No. 102,147, filed September 23, 1936, in which,however, the supporting structure for the honing stones must be shiftedaxially toward one end of the workpiece to allow entry of the plug gageat the opposite end. This arrangement is entirely satisfactoryinoperation, but, where the workpiece is relatively short, the honescannot be reciprocated sufficiently relative to the workpiece to remainin contact with the workpiece and, at the same time, allow the plug gageto test the workpiece diameter. One of the principal objects of thepresent invention is to avoid the above noted objection by a gage whichis in a radial plane which passes through the honing members.

The amount of material removed in the usual honing operation isrelatively small, and in many cases is no more than one or twoten-thousandths of an inch. A further object of the present invention isthe provision of. an extremely sensitive gage, which will measure smallvariations in workpiece diameter, of the order abbve noted, to providefor controlling the finished diameters of successive workpieces withinextremely small limits.

Where a honing machine is arranged for the simultaneous honing of aplurality of workpieces, with one hone operating on each workpiece, itis 49 frequentlydesirable where accurate sizing-is essential, toprovide. for terminating the honing ac-- tion of each honeindependently, so that the finished size of each workpiece may beindividually controlled. A further object. of the-invenas tion is toprovide a size control associated with each honing head in amultiple-head honing machine, with a provision for rendering each honeinoperative when the workpiece operated upon by the hone reaches apredetermined size,

50 independently of the action of the other hones on the machine.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will morefully appear from the following detailed description, taken in connec-55 tion with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 5 is a view ofthe end of the honing device shown in Fig. 4, with parts broken awayalong the line 5-5.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of a machine on which the honing device ofFigs. 1-5 may be mounted.

Fig. '1 is a wiring diagram.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures.

The honing device disclosed in the drawings may be applied to anysuitable type of honing machine which may be, for example, the honingmachine described in the co-pending application of Harold L. Blood,Serial No. 100,911, filed September 15, 1936, which discloses amultiplehead honing machine. It is sufficient to note, for the purposesof the present invention, that one form of machine suitable for use withthe honing head to be described, embodies a reciprocatory table I, Fig.6, mounted on a base 2 and adapted to carry either a work-support or thehoning device. In the construction shown, the work-support'3, in theform of a bracket, is secured to the table, and the honing device 4,embodying the invention, is mounted on a bridge 5, which extends overthe table at one end of the base. The table is reciprocated for movingthe workpiece or workpieces carried by the worksupport axially into andout of operative engagement with the hone, and to provide for a shortrelative reciprocation between the workpiece and the honing device isoperative position. This reciprocation may be provided by the cylinder 6and piston 'l, the latter being connected by a piston rod 8 to 9. lug 9on the table. The control of the reciprocatory table by a fluidpressureactuated mechanism of this character, is so well known as torequire no further description. It i will be understood that the bridgemay have a plurality of honing devices arranged in a row for engagementwith a plurality of workpieces in the work-support, each workpiece beinglocated in axial alinement with a corresponding honing device.

suitable key, not shown. The

With reference now to Figs. 1 and 4, the honing device embodying theinvention comprises a housing H), see also Fig. 6, in which isJournalled a rotary shaft H, on one end of which a hone I2 is mounted.To the opposite end of the shaft H is secured a pulley l3, Fig. 4, bywhich a rotation of the shaft is obtained. Suitable belts providea'connection between the pulley I3 and a driving pulley, not shown, thebelts being kept tight by an idler pulley |4 journalled on a stud l5mounted on the bridge.

Referring again to Fig. 1, the hone I2, which corresponds, in general,to the hone described and claimed in the co-pending Blood application,Serial No. 100,580, filed September 14, 1936, comprises an arbor or headl6, having an axial bore H, in which a splndle'l8 is slidable, thelatter being held against rotation in the arbor by a spindle l8 has anarcuate shoulder l9 positioned within the head, and the end of saidspindle projects beyond the head and has a cap 20 secured thereto. Acylindrical hub 2| on the arbor provides for attachment thereof, withthe honing members mounted thereon, to the end of the shaft II, and thearbor is held against rotation on said shaft by a set screw 22, Fig. 3.

The arbor |6 has a plurality of radially extending slots 23, in each ofwhich is positioned a bell crank lever 24. At the corner of each leveris an arcuate protuberance 25 engageable with the arcuate shoulder IS onthe hone spindle, thereby permitting oscillation of the lever about thispoint.

Surrounding the arbor adjacent the base of the slots 23 is a ring 26,secured to the head as by bolts 21, the ring having a small flange 28engaging in an annular notch 29 in the arbor, to hold the ring inposition. Between the ring and the arbor is clamped a resilient disk 30,in the form of an annular diaphragm having a plurality of resilientfingers 3|, one of which extends inwardly into each of the notches 23.Each lever 24 has an arcuate lug '32 for engagement with the inner orleft hand (Fig. 1) side of the corresponding finger 3|.

The opposite end of each lever has an arcuate lug 33 which engages in anarcuate recess 34 in a hone carrier 35. On the outer side of eachcarrier is a plate 36 to which is secured, as by a suitable adhesive, ahoning member preferably in the form of a stone 31, of abrasivematerial. The honing stones are additionally held on the carrier platesby flanges 38 extending outwardly from the plates.

The plates 36 are releasably held on the carriers by coil springs 39 and40, eachin the form of an annulus extending around the arbor. The spring39 is positioned at the inner or left hand end of the plates and engageswith the left hand edge of the flanges 38 thereon. The other coil spring40 is positioned in a recess 4| in the outer end of each of the plates36, the inturned portion of the plate which forms the recess engaging ina correspondingly shaped recess 42 in the carrier. These coil springshold the plates on the carriers and hold the carriers in engagement withthe corresponding levers 24. The levers are held in predeterminedrelation to each other by a coil spring 43, also in the form of anannulus, positioned in a slot 44 provided in the arbor. The severalsprings 39, 40 and 43 tend to collapse the hone and thus hold itreleasably in contracted position.

'he hone is expanded for moving the stones outwardly into engagementwith the workpiece by mechanism shown in Fig 1 and 4, which maycorrespond in general to that disclosed in the copending application ofBlood and Schmidt, Serial No. 103,725, flled October 2, 1936. Withreference to these figures, the shaft H has an axial bore 45 in whichthe end of the spindle 8 is received. A rod 46, also positioned in thebore, has a plunger 41 on the right hand end thereof for engagement withthe end of the spindle l8, and a coil spring 48 surrounds the rod 46 andurges the plunger 4'! to the right for expanding the hone, the springbeing positioned between the plunger and a collar 49 within the spindle.The rod 46 is held against turning movement within the spindle by a key50, Fig. 4, which allows for an axial movement of the rod 46 to theright. Movement of the rod 46 is limited by a nut 5| on the threadedleft hand end of the rod, said nut having a projecting flange engageablewith the end of the pulley l3. A second nut 52 on the rod is heldagainst turning movement relative to the nut 5| by a pin 53 extendingthrough both of the nuts and a coil spring 54 positioned between thenuts and engageable in recesses therein urges the nuts apart to place africtional drag thereon.

A compensation for wear on the stones is provided also correspond, ingeneral, to that disclosed in the above cited copending application ofBlood and Schmidt. The compensatory movement of the stones is eflectedby turning of the nuts 5| and 52 on the rod 46 to allow a slightlygreater movement of the rod to the right and thus a greater expansion ofthe hone. With reference to Fig. 4, the nut 5| has a collar 55 extendingtherearound and in a position for engagement with a radial flange 56 onthe nut 52. The collar is mounted inan open slot 51 in an arm 58 and iscarried on trunnions, not shown, extending inwardly from opposite sidesof the slot for a turning movement of the collar therein. The arm 58 isjournalled on a pin 59 in a bracket 60 secured to the housing I. Aprojecting bar 6|, forming part of the arm 58, has an adjustable stop 62engageable with a. part of the bracket 60 and an adjustable stop 63 inthe bracket 60 is engageable with the bar 6|. The cooperating stops 62and 63 limit the rocking movement of the arm 58 in both directions.

The lower end of the arm 58 has a plunger 64 slidably mounted thereinand normally urged into the position shown by a spring 65 surroundingthe plunger, the movement of the plunger to the right being limited byadjusting nuts 66 on the left hand end of the plunger. The latter is ina position for engagement with the end of the table I as the latterreaches operative position and an" oscillation of the'arm 58 occursduring the reciprocatory movement of the table while in operativeposition. In the normal oscillatory movement of the arm 58, the collar55 does not come in contact with the flange 56. As the stones becomeworn, however, so that a compensation for wear is necessary, the flange56 engages with the collar 55 as the hone is expanded and the nuts 5|and 52 are then held against turning movement until therod 46 is turnedslightly within the nuts to allow a greater expansion of the hone.

The above structure is all fully described and claimed in earlierpatents and copending applications and does not of itself embody thepresent invention. Thelatter involves in connection with the above, orsimilar honing machine elements,

and the mechanism'for this purpose may the invention isa terminationofthe honing op eration when the workpiece reaches a predeterminedfinished dimension.

With reference again to. Fig. 4, the nut 62 on the hone actuating rod 46has, integral therewith, and extending to the left thereof, a flangedcollar 61 to which a similar collar '68 is fastened, as by bolts 68. Thecollar 68 is secured by a key .10 to a piston rod 1| having atitsopposite end a piston 12 which is slidable in a cylinder 13 in ahousing 14 secured to the main housing I0. The cylinder 13 has a port 15connected by a conduit 16 to a port 11 in a valve casing 18, Fig. 6,mounted on the base of the machine. The casing 18 has an inlet port 19connected to a suitable source of fluid under pressure which may be aconstant pressure pump. a

An exhaust port 80 is also provided in the casing 18 and fluidconnection between the port 11 and 80 is normally provided by a reducedportion M of a valve 82 slidable in the casing. At the end of the honingoperation the valve 82 is shifted to' the left by energization of asolenoid 83 which has its armature 84 connected to the valve-stem.Movement of the valve to the left allows the ad mission of fluid underpressure to the right hand side of the piston 12 to collapse the hone,thereby withdrawing the stones from engagement with the workpiece. Thesolenoid 83 is energized when the workpiece reaches a predetermineddimension in response to the action of a gage, best shown in Figs. 2 and3. With reference to these figures, the hone arbor I6 has diametricallyopposed radial slots 85 and 86 in which are positioned the gage arms orfeelers 81 and 88 respectively. The end of each arm has a hardenedsurface 89 for engagement with the workpiece and these surfaces, asshown in Fig. 3, are in a radial plane passing through the stones 31.That is to say, a plane at right angles to the axis of rotation of thebones which includes the hardened surfaces 89 will also pass througheach of the honing stones 31; in this manner the gage arms engage withthe workpiece surface during the honing operation and it is entirelyunnecessary to withdraw the hone from the work in order to test theworkpiece diameter.

The gage arms are carried'by flat springs 90 and 9! connected tothe endsof a bar 92 positioned in a slot 93 in the spindle I8 and pivoted on apin 94, carried by the end of the spindle II. Small slots 95 in thespindle I8 at right angles to the slot 93 allow the spindle I8 to moveaxially for expansion and contraction of the hone without affecting theposition of the gage arms and supporting structure.

On the ends of the gage arms opposite work engaging surfaces are opposedcoils 98 and 91, also positioned within the'slot 93. The bar 92 has anintegral finger 98 extending parallel to the arms, and with its free endlocated between the ends of the coils 96 and 91. Thus the gage andassociated mechanism are floated on the pin 94 so that the gage is freeto measure the workpiece diameter by the spacing of the hard enedsurfaces on the two gage arms, independently of the actual position ofeither arm relative to the hone.

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1 'The inner ends of the coils 98 and 91 are connected together by alead 99, Fig. 3. which also extends centrally through the spindle I8 andactuating rod 46 to a ring I; Fig. 4, of conducting material, extendingaround the collar 61 and insulated therefrom by insulation IN. The outerendsof the-coils 98 and 91 are connected by leads I02 and I03respectively to rings I04 and I06, Fig. 3, of conducting material,extending around the periphery of an integral flange I08 on the shaftII, and insulated therefrom by suitable insulation I01, the leads I02and I03 extending through small bores I08 and I09 in the shaft'l I.

fingers H0 and III mounted. on an insulating block II2 secured to a capII3 on the housing I0,

anda similar spring finger I I4, Fig. 4, engages the ring I00 and ismounted on an insulating block H on the cylinder housing 14. Suitableleads H6, H1 and H8 provide a connection from these spring fingers tothe remainder of the electrical system.

With reference now to the wiring diagram of Fig. 7, in which the ringsI00, I04 and I05, and the spring fingers IIO, III and I are omitted forclarity, the coils 96 and 91 are shown to be connected by the leads 99and H8 to one side of the secondary winding II9 of a transformer I20,whose primary winding I 2I is connected to a source of power representedby the parallel leads I22. The outer end of the coil 96 is connected bythe lead IIB to one terminal of one 'of a pair of primary windings I23and I24, both wound in the same direction on a magnetic core I25. Theouter end of the coil 91 is similarly connected by the lead II1 to theopposite winding I24. These windings I23 and I24 have their ad-- jacentends connected by a lead I28 to the secondary winding of the transformerI20.

A secondary winding I21 on the core I is con 4 nected by leadsl 28 andI29 to the opposite terminals of a suitable bridge rectifier I offamiliar construction. The other terminals of this rectifier areconnected by leads I3'I. and I32 to a coil I33 forming part of'amicro-ammeter. I34.

The indicating needle I35 of the micro-ammeter I has its end in aposition to engage with a conducting fiuid I38 in a cup I31. The needleis connected by a lead I38 to one side of a suitable source of directcurrent represented by the parallel leads I38 and I30, and the cup I31is connected by a lead I40 to one terminal of the solenoid 83. Theopposite terminal of the solenoid is connected by a lead I to the leadI39,

As the workpiece is honed the gage arms move apart.-at the workpieceengaging ends, bringing the coils 96 and 91 closer and closer to thefinger 38jtherebyincreasing the power in the windings I23 and I24 untilthe induced current in the sec-' ondary winding I21 reaches such a valueas to cause the neede of the micro-ammeter I34 to move into engagementwith the conducting fluid. When this occurs the solenoid 83 is energizedto shift the valve 82, thereby directing fluid to the a In the operationoi the machine the table I is caused to move to the left by any suitablecontrol lever, which will cause the workpiece a to be brought intooperative relation to the hone, or in the case of a multi-head honingmachine, to cause the several workpieces to be brought simultaneouslyinto operative relation with the several alined hones. When theworkpiece or workpieces reach operative relation the gage fingers areurged toward each other by engagement with the bore of the workpiece,thereby moving the coils 88 and 91 apart and reducing the amount ofcurrent through the micro-ammeter so that the needle is withdrawn fromthe conducting fluid to break the circuit through the solenoid 83. Thevalve 82 is then shifted to the right by the spring 84' to allow fluidunder pressure from the right hand side of the piston 12 to exhaust sothat the honing stones may be moved outwardly by the spring 48 intoengagement with the workpiece bore.

The honing operation continues with the gage fingers gradually movingapart as material is removed from the workpiece bore until the workpiecereaches the desired finished size, at which time the coils 88 and 91 areclose enough together to induce sufllcient current in the winding I21 tocause the needle of the micro-ammeter to complete the circuit throughthe solenoid 83. When the solenoid is thus energized the valve 82 isshifted to the left to direct fluid under pressure to the cylinder 13and withdraw the hone from engagement with the workpiece. Where themachine has several honing heads it will be apparent that eachindividual hone is separately controlled by the gage fingers associatedtherewith, so that the flnished size of each of the simultaneously honedworkpieces may be indivadually controlled with the corresponding honewithdrawn from operative relation to the workpiece as soon as eachworkpiece reaches the desired finished diameter.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present inventioninvolves a size-control for a honing machine which permits control ofthe honing operation. The size-control device has contact with theworkpiece in a radial plane passing through the honing stones so that itis unnecessary to withdraw the hones far enough from the workpiece toallow the entry of a gage of the plug type. Where the machine has aplurality of honing heads simultaneously operative upon a series ofworkpieces, it is possible, by the arrangement disclosed, to terminateeach individual honing operation independently of the honing operationssimultaneously performed by the other honing heads on the machine.

I claim:

1. In a honing machine, the combination with a hone having a pluralityof angularly spaced honing elements, oi a size determining mechanismhaving a feeler engageable with the workpiece between adiacent honingelements.

2. In a honing machine, the combination with a hone having a pluralityof angularly spaced honing elements, of a size determining mechanismhaving a ieeler engageable with the workpiece in a radial planeintersecting the honing elements.

3. In a honing machine, a hone having at least one honing element, asize controlling mechanism having a feeler engageable with the surface01 the workpiece in a. radial plane intersecting the honing element, andmeans under the control 01. the sizing mechanism for withdrawing thehoning element relative to the hone.

4. In a honing machine, the combination with a hone having a pluralityof angularly spaced honing elements, of a size controlling mechanismincluding at least one work engaging contact carried by the hone andengageable with the workpiece, said work engaging contact beingpositioned between adjacent honing elements.

5. In a honing machine, the combination with a rotatable hone having aplurality oi angularly spaced honing elements, of a size controllingmechanism having a ieeler engageable with the workpiece and rotatablewith the hone.

6. In a honing machine. a hone comprising an arbor and a plurality ofangularly spaced honing elements movable relative to the arbor, a sizecontrolling mechanism carried by said arbor and including a feelerengageable with the workpiece and means actuated by said sizecontrolling mechanism for procuring a movement 01' said honing elementsrelative to said arbor in a direction to withdraw said elements fromengagement with the workpiece. s

7. In a honing machine, a hone comprising an arbor and a plurality ofangularly spaced honing elements movable relative to the arbor, a sizecontrolling mechanism having at least one work engaging contactengageable with the workpiece in a radial plane intersecting the honingelements, and means under the control oi. said sizing mechanism forprociu-ing a movement of the honing elements relative to the arbor forwithdrawing the elements from operative position.

8. In a honing machine, the combination with a hone having a pluralityof honing elements, means for normally holding the elements in operativeposition, size determining mechanism having at least one work engagingcontact engageable with the workpiece in a radial plane intersecting thehoning elements, and means actuated by said size determining mechanismfor withdrawing the honing elements from operative position.

9. In a honing machine, the combination with a hone having a pluralityof honing elements, means for normally holding the elements in operativeposition, size determining mechanism having at least one work engagingcontact engageable with the workpiece in a radial plane intersecting thehoning elements, fluid pressure actuated means for procuring movement ofsaid honing elements relative to the hone out oi. operative relation,and means under the control of the sizing mechanism for renderingoperative said fluid pressure actuated means.

10. In a honing machine, the combination with a hone having a pluralityof honing elements, means for normally holding the elements in operativeposition, size determining mechanism having at least one work engagingcontact engageable with the workpiece in a radial plane intersecting thehoning elements, fluid pressure actuated means for procuring movement ofsaid honing elements relative to the hone out of operative relation, andelectrical means under the control of the sizing mechanism for renderingoperative said fluid pressure actuated means.

11. In a hone, an arbor, at least one honing element carried by saidarbor and movable relative thereto into and out of operative position,and a gage member carried by said arbor and movable relative theretosaid member having a feeler engageable with the workpiece.

12. In a hone, an arbor, a plurality oi honing elements carried by saidarbor and movable relative thereto, and at least one gage member carriedby said arbor and having a work engaging portion located betweenadjacent honing elements.

13. In a hone, an arbor having a plurality of radial slots therein, alever positioned in each slot, 2. honing element carried by each lever,and a gage member carried by said arbor and having a work engagingportion located between adjacent honing elements.

14, In a hone, an arbor having a plurality of radial slots therein, alever positioned in each slot, 9. honing element carried by each lever,and a gage member carried by said arbor and having a work engagingportion located between adjacent honing elements and in a radial planeinter secting said'honing elements.

15. In a honing machine, a honing head comprising an arbor, a pluralityof angularly spaced honing elements carried by and movable relative tothe arbor, at least one gage arm carried by said arbor and having a workengaging feeler positioned between adjacent honing elements, said gagearm being mounted !or rocking movement relative to the arbor.

16. In a honing machine, a honing head comprising an arbor, a pluralityof angularly spaced honing elements carried by and movable relative tothe arbor, and a pair of gage arms carried by the arbor and mounted formovement relative thereto, each arm having a feeler positioned betweenadjacent honing elements.

17. In a honing machine, a honing head comprising an arbor, a pluralityof angularly spaced honing elements carried by and movable relative tothe arbor, a pair of gage arms carried by the arbor and mounted tormovement relative thereto, each arm having a feeler positioned betweenadjacent honing elements, and means for normally urging said honingelements relative to the arbor into operative position.

18. In a honing machine, a rotatable hone comprising an arbor, aplurality of angularly spaced honing elements carried by and movablerelative to the arbor, and an electrically actu ated size controllingmechanism including at least one gage arm carried by the arbor andhaving a feeler position between adjacent honing elements for engagementwith the workpiece, and electrically actuated means for procuring achange in the honing operation in response to movement of the gage arm.

19. In a honing machine, a hone comprising an arbor, a plurality ofangularly spaced honing elements movable relative to the arbor and aspring actuated plunger movable axially of the arbor for urging thehoning elements into operative position, size controlling meansincluding a gage arm carried by the arbor-and having a work engagingcontact positioned between adjacent honing elements, and meansresponsive to movement 0! the gage arm relative to the arbor forprocuring a movement 01 the plunger for a contraction of the hone.

20. In a honing machine, the combination with a hone having a pluralityof angularly spaced honing elements, of a sire-determining mechanismhaving a ieeler engageable with the workpiece between adjacent honingelements, and means under the control of said size-determining mechanismfor withdrawing the hone from engagement with the workpiece.

21. In a honing machine, a hone comprising an arbor, a plurality ofangularly spaced honing elements carried by and movable relative to thearbor, at least one gage arm carried by said gage arbor, and having awork-engaging Ieeler positioned between adjacent honing elements, saidgage arm being mounted for rocking movement relative to the arbor,electrically actuated means for procuring a change in the honingoperation, and means responsive to movement of the gage arm forrendering said electrically actuated means operative.

22. In a honing machine, a hone comprising an arbor, a plurality ofangularly spaced honing elements carried by and movable relative to thearbor, at least one gage arm carried by said gage arbor, and having awork-engaging teeler positioned between adjacent honing elements, saidgage arm being mounted for rocking movement relative to the arbor,electrically actuated m'eans for procuring a change in the honingoperation, an electrical circuit, and means responsive to movement ofthe gage arm for varying the power in the circuit, and means operativewhen the power in the circuit reaches a predetermined quantity foractuating said electrically actuated means.

WILLIAM D. BCHIEIDT.

